Local governments, transport facilities, financial institutions, medical institutions or the like are interested in management of personal information using IC cards. IC cards are the cards that contain an integrated device (also referred to as a one-chip IC) that includes a nonvolatile memory, a processor, an authentication circuit or the like. An IC card containing a one-chip IC that records personal information can always be carried by the owner. The personal information recorded in an IC card is referred to as occasion demands. Also, the authentication circuit contained in the IC card prevents the personal information from being read improperly. Compared with magnetic cards, IC cards protect the personal information well from improper accesses. Such IC cards conform to ISO standards which have already been provided or will be provided. Remote-type IC cards are defined in ISO14443. Close-type IC cards are defined in ISO10536.
Remote-type IC cards receive electric power from terminal apparatuses through radio waves, then integrated devices inside the IC cards are activated. The remote-type IC cards are said to be suitable for the checking of commuter passes or management of people entering and exiting a facility. For example, when an owner of an IC card holds the IC card over a terminal apparatus formed in a railroad ticket gate to enter the gate to ride on a train, the integrated device contained in the IC card is activated receiving power through radio waves from the terminal apparatus. When the IC card contains an authentication circuit and a memory circuit that stores information indicating that the IC card is used as a commuter pass, information of a railway line section traveled by the card owner, and information of a valid period of the commuter pass, the terminal apparatus in the ticket gate coordinates with the authentication circuit and the memory circuit to check the validity of the IC card. When there is no problem in the travel section and commuter pass period, the terminal apparatus permits the card owner to enter the platform; and when there is a problem, the terminal apparatus prohibits the card owner from entering the platform.
In the case of magnetic cards used as commuter passes, card owners are required to take out a card and let the card pass through a ticket gate. If the above commuter pass checking system becomes prevalent, IC card owners will not be required to do the above operations. This will facilitate commuters who pass through ticket gates using commuter passes, and relieve the congestion at tickets gates such often seen at rush hour in terminal stations in large cities.
A remote-type IC card coordinates with a terminal apparatus to transfer personal information at a ticket gate even though there is some distance between them. Remote-type IC cards are very useful as described above and give us an impression that all the specifications for IC cards for managing personal information may well be unified to a remote-type. However, conventional remote-type IC cards are not suitable for coordination with terminal apparatuses to deal with personal information which should be kept secret. A some different type of IC card would be suitable for dealing with secret, personal information.
The reason for thinking that remote-type IC cards are not suitable for dealing with personal information is as follows. When an improperly intentioned third party holds an IC card over a terminal apparatus while the terminal apparatus is transmitting or receiving personal information to/from another IC card, the third party can store the personal information into the IC card.
Also, it is possible for a communication apparatus located near a terminal apparatus to receive personal information transferred between the terminal apparatus and an IC card. The communication apparatus may be operated by an improperly intentioned third party. That is to say, it is possible for the third party to intercept personal information, or alter the intercepted information and transmit the altered information to the terminal apparatus. In this case, every time a remote-type IC card coordinates with a terminal apparatus, there is a danger that personal information leaks.
Considering the above, storing important personal information into a remote-type IC card for use is not desirable.
There is a method of storing important personal information into IC cards while maintaining the usefulness of the remote type IC cards. It is a combination-type IC card which is made by combining specifications of remote-type IC cards with those of contact-type IC cards. Each contact-type IC card has a contact-type connector. The integrated device in a contact-type IC card is activated when the IC card is connected to a terminal apparatus via the connector. After the IC card is connected to a terminal apparatus, it is impossible for a communication apparatus disposed near the terminal apparatus by an improperly intentioned third party to intercept personal information. In this case, also, the terminal apparatus can check the credibility of the card owner by checking in input code number or the like. As apparent from this, contact-type IC cards are far more excellent than remote-type IC cards in security, and suitable for payment or the like.
Connectors in contact-type IC cards may, however, be smeared or wet. This would reduce the conductivity of the connectors. Therefore, owners of combination-type IC cards are required to treat, keep, or carry the cards carefully to protect connectors from such problems. This puts a constant burden upon the card owners. Also the card owners should carefully insert or remove IC cards so that the cards are not damaged. This makes the card owners nervous whenever they use the IC cards. Suppose each card owner feels nervous when he/she inserts or remove a combination-type IC card into/from a cash dispenser in a financial institution, it takes a lot of time for each one to perform payment. When this happens, a long line of cash dispenser users may be made before each cash dispenser on days when banks have a lot of cash dispenser users for payment.
In addition to the above, when a combination-type IC card is repeatedly made contact with terminal apparatuses, both ends of a connector are worn out, resulting in a faulty connection. If maintenance is frequently required for both the cards and terminal apparatuses due to such faulty connections, financial institutions having cash dispensers may not introduce the combination-type IC card.